Steering-wheel-driving mechanism.



A. E. OSBORN.

smmwe WHEEL omvme MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.15,1913. 1,182,928, PntQnted May16,1916.

2 S'HEETSSHEET I.

A E. OSBORN, STEERING WHEEL DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILE'D DEC. I5. I913,

Patented May 16, 1916.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

[NV/5N TOR.

- Steering \Yheel Driving ALDEN E. OSBORN, OF NE'W YORK, N. Y.

STEERING-WHEEL-DRIVING MECHANISN'.

Application filed December 15, 1913.

To all "TIM/ill if i/my om-urn:

Be it known that L'ALnnN E. OSBORN, of the city of New York, borough ofthe Bronx, county and State of New York, have invent ed certain new anduseful Improvements in Mechanism, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, such aswill enahle others skilled in theart to which it appertains to uiake and use the same.

My invention relates to a method of driving the pivoted steering wheelor wheels of a motor vehicle from a relatively stationary motor on saidvehicle and to the method of pivotally mounting such wheel or wheels.

its principal ohject is to provide that the maximum angle of working ofany of the universal joints employed in my wheel driving system shall heless than the angle at which the wheel or wheels may stand to the axleon which said wheel or wheels are pivotally mounted thus reducing theuniversal joint friction and wear.

.\ second ohjcct is to provide an extremely .simple and cheap wheelmounting means in which the pivot pins may he integral with the. axle.(thereby avoiding the weakeninglthe same by drilling for the pins) andin which also wheel hearings of exceedingly small diameter. inproportion to the axle size, length of pivot pinsand degree of steeringmovement, can he employed.

Reference is to he had to theaccoinpanying drawings in which:

1 Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of one form of myinvention. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal sectional view of themechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. represents a vertical sectional view ofa modification of the mechanismshown in Figs. 1 and 2 and Fig. 4represents a vertical sectional view of a still further modification.

ln Figs. l and ot the accompanying drawings the axle 10 is shown as inthe form of a hollow tuhular casing which casing surrounds the drivingmemher 20 and is provided with two opposed pivot pins ll. tor the wheelsupport l2. This wheel support 12 is, in order to permit. ol its beingplaced in position on the pins 11. divided vertically (as shown by thedotted lines of Fig. and is held together when in place by the hearings12, which pass over it at each side of the pivot pins ll. 'lho hearings13 are shown as locked in position on this support hy the nut 14- on oneside and the nut 15 on Specification of Letters Patent.

iatented May 16, 1916.

Serial as. 806,887.

the other which latter nut is shown as integral with the steering arm 16which-is arsupport from that from which the driving mcmhcr 21) projects.The universal joint may he of any desired type suitable for connectingthe driving member 2 and hub 30 although it is shown as of the commoncrosspin form and is surrounded and protected by a suitable extension orcover on said hub. The driving memher 20 is also supported at its otherend by a universal or llexihle joint which. like the joint justmentioned, may be of any desired form but is shown in these figures ascomprising two square sliding hlocks i5 pivoted on the memher 20 whichblocks move in slots in the hollow end of the driving element or shaft35. This shaft may he driven by the vehicle motor in any desired manneralthough it is shown as heing connected to an element of the usualdifferential gear (30 which gear is at one side su 'iportc'd by ahearing 18 mounted on the axle l0 and at the other side by a similarlymounted hearing although this is not shown as the construction will bereadily understood hy those skilled in the art.

From the foregoing it will he seen that owing to the center of motion ofthe main universal joint connecting the driving memher 20 and hub 30heiug at one side of the axis of pivoting of the wheel, the turning ofsaid wheel sidewise to steer results in moving the driving member 20 outof line with the. axle 10, as shown in Fig. 2, thus causing the angle ofthe main joint to be less than the angle through which the wheel hasbeen turned and bringing the joint between said member 20 and thedriving shaft or part into action. As the eliiciency of the mainuniversal joint increases rapidly with a reduction in the working anglethe Wear and friction is greatly reduced notwithstanding that thesecondary universal joint connecting the driving element, and drivingmemher is brought into action as the motion in this secondary joint isrelatively small.

1 and 2 surrounds lheaxle 10 and the driving para in which the drivingmemher 20 35, which in this ease is shown as being a sprocket Wheel,also eurrounos't-ne axle and is mounted on a' bearing 18 upon its 11exterior.

The axle 10 carries the two op posed pivot pins 11 on which is mounted.the wheel support 12 whieh support is divided vertically and is heldtogether the wheel bearings 13 and nuts 1 and 15 exactly as in Figs. 1and 2. The nul; 15 is as in Figs. 1 and 2 provided with an arm 16,indicated by the dotted lines, connected to the steering mechanism ofthe vehicle this arm being in this form of my invention arranged toswing within the driving member 20 and having pivotal eonneetion withthe rod 4a). The driving member 20 has two arms which pass thro openingsin the wheel huh 30 and pivotally connect with the unive-sal joint 86which is in turn pivotally mounied on two arms or bosses on the hub anright anglee to the axis of the driving member pivs ots. The other endof the driving member 20 is connected by a universal or flexible jointto the sprocket 35 so that the member can swing with the steeringmovement of ihe wheel and still have mol ion iransmitted to it from thesprocket. Any form universal joint may he used although that showncomprises two pivotally mounted blocks or rollers 33 on the sprocket 35which move in slots'or grooves in the ends of two arms attached to thedriving memher 20. The action of this form oi mesh anismwvherehy themovement in the main universal joint is reduced below thafi incident tothe steering angle of the wheel will be clearly understood by reference.to 2 as the principle is exaoily the some.

In the further modification of my invention shown in Fig. 4- the axle10" is shown as extending to both sides of wheel hub 30* with the Wheelsupport 12" divided vertically and mounted on the pivot pins 11" as inthe other forms. In this view, however, no lock .nuts are shown to holdthe wheel bearings 13" in position and the steering arm 16 is shown asattached to one part of the wheel support 12. The driving member 20'surrounds the' axle 10 and has two arms ing through openings in thewheel hub or between the spokes of the wheel and connecting with theuniversal joint ring 36 at the opposite side of the wheel hulr from thedriving sprocket 35 substantially in a same Way as in Fig. 3. Theuniversal or flexible joint between this sprocket 35 and the drivingmcmhvr 20 is shown in this Fig. 4*. as composed of a flexible disk 33'fastened to two arms on the driving memher and fastened at right anglesin the first points of attachment to two opposite points on thesprocket. This type of joint permits ,wheel vehicles. It shouldunderstood,

however, that certain features of the form shown in Fig. 4 may be usedin connection with the iypes shown in the other figures or certainfeatures of 111886 figures may housed in connection with the three wheelform and also that various other modifioa Lions embodying the principlesof my invention may he made.

. Having thus described my invention, I clairoas new and desire tosecure hy Letters fPateni',

In a vehicle, the comhination with an e, a rotary driving elementiand arotary driving member, of substantially vertical pivot studs fastened tosaid axle, a l0ngitudinaiiy separable wheel. support havingsochetstherein i'evoiublylii'tting about said studs, a means foroscillating said supportto sneer the vehicle, a Wheel rotatably mountedon said support, a universal 'or flexible joint for connecting therotary drivmg member and she Wheel, a. second univereel or flexiblejoint for connecting the said] driving member and the said drivingelemen: said second universal joint, and driving element being on theopposite side of'the axis of movement of said wheel support from thecenter of motion of said first mentioned universal joint whereby, whensaid wheel support is turned about the said studs for steering thevehicle, lhe axis of roeation of the said driving member will assume anangle intermediate between the line oi the axis of rotation of the saiddriving element and the line of the axis of rotation of the wheel.

in a vehicle, the combination Willi an axle, a hollow rotary drivingelement surrounding said axle and a hollow rotary;

driving member also surrounding said axle, of a wheel support pivotallymounted on said axle, a Wheel rotatably mounted on said support and auniversal or flexible joint, having its center of motion at one sideoftheaxis of movement of said pivoted wheel support, for connecting thesaid driving member and the Wheel and means, at the other side of theaxis of movement of said pivoted wheel support, for connecting the saiddriving member with the said driving element.

3. In a'vehiele, the combination with an axle, a, hollow rotary drivingelement surrounding said axis and a hollow rotary driving member, alsosurrounding said axle and having at an end thereof two pro ectmg arms,of a wheel support pivotally mounted on said axle, a wheel rotatablymounted on said support and having openings in its plane through whichsaid two projecting arms of the driving member pass and a universal orflexible joint, having its center of motion at one side of the axis ofmovement of said pivoted wheel support, connected with said two arms ofthe driving member and with the wheel and means, at the other side ofthe axis-of movement of said pivoted wheel support, for connecting thesaid driving member and the said driving element.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with an axle, a hollow rotary drivingelement surroundin said axle and a hollow rotary driving mem er, alsosurrounding said axle and having at an end thereof two projecting arms,of a wheel support pivotally mounted onsaid axle, a wheel rotatablymounted on said support and havin openings in its plane through whichsaid two projecting arms of the driving member pass, a ring, at one sideof the axis-of movement of said pivoted wheel support, pivotallyconnected with said two arms of the driving member and pivotallyconnected, at right angles to the axis of said pivotalconnections tosaid arms, to the wheel, and-means at the other side of the axis ofmovement of said pivoted Wheel support, for connecting the saiddrivingmember and the said driving element.

5. In a vehicle, the combination with an axle, a hollow rotary drivingelement surrounding said axle anda hollow rotary driving member, alsosurrounding said axle,

and having at an' end thereof two projecting I arms, of a wheel supportpivotally mounted on said axle with said axle extending beyond bothsides thereof, a means for oscillatin said support to steer the vehicle,a whee rotatably mounted on said support and having openingsin its planethrough which the said two projecting arms of the driving member pass, aring, also surrounding said axle, pivotally connected with said two armsofdriving member and pivotally connected, at right angles to the axis ofsaid pivotal connections to said arms, to the wheel, and means forconnecting the said driving member and the said driving element-the saidmeans and thesaid driving member and element being on the opposite sideof the axis of movement of said pivoted wheel support from the saidring;

6. In a vehicle, the combination with an axle of substantially verticalpivot studs on said axle with said axle extending to both sides thereof,a pivotally mounted wheel support havin sockets for said studs and beinglongitudinally separable on a line intersecting said sockets into two ormore parts to permit of its said'mounting about said studs, ringsfitting about the said sup port at each side of the said pivot studs tohold its parts in position, a wheel rotatably mounted on said supportand means for oscillating said support'to steer the vehicle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witneses.

, ALDEN E. OSBORN.

Witnesses: Omvnn CoNoooN,

ROBERT OAMSAN. 'f

